Carrier for bottles and cans



July 29, 1952 M 1 wn.liAm'sN l cRRiERjFoR BOTTLES AND QANS Filed Aug. :5, 1950,

G mw\ NML INV/wrox. MARSHALL-1. w/LL/AMso/v BY M W AMI ATTORNEY July 29, 1952 M. l. WILLIAMSON 2,605,035

CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND CANS y Filed Aug. 5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MARSHALL WILL/AMSON ulg ATTORNEY July 29 1952 M. l. WILLIAMSON 2,605,035

CARRIER FoR BOTTLES AND cANs Filed Aug. s, 195o 5 sheets-sheet s INVENTOR. MR/-MLL W/LL/AMJON ATTORNEY July 29, 1952 M. l. WILLIAMSON 2,605,035

CARRIER FoR BOTTLES AND cANs l Filed Aug. 3, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR. MARSHALL WILLIAMSON July 29, 1952 M. A.1. WILLIAMSON CARRIER RoR BOTTLES AND cANs Filed Aug. 3, 195o 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 nhhnllllllrlfllflfl.

INVENTOR. MARSHALL W/L /AMJO/V lul ATTOR/vfy atentecl .uly 29, 1952 CARRIER Fon BOTTLES AND cANsl Marshall I. Williamson, New Haven, Conn., as-V signor to National Folding Box Company, Inc., New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut application August 3, 195e, serial No. 177,402

l This invention relates to improvement in carriers made from foldable sheet material, such as paperboard, for packaging a plurality of bottles, cans, jars, or similar articles as a unit which may easily be stacked by the dealer, carried home by the consumer and which, in addition, provides protection for" the packagedr articles.

Carriers of the aforementioned type are popularly referred to as bottle carrier, and this term will be used hereinafter for convenience, although it is plain that a carrier for bottles is equally useful for the packaging of cans, jars, and similar articles of merchandise.

The commonly known carriers may be divided into two groups, a first group comprising those carriers in which the handle forms an integral, or non-detachable, part of the carrier body, and a second group comprising those carriers in which the handle constitutes a separate element which maybe attached to, or detached from, the carrier body.

A Carriers equipped with an integral handle generally have the disadvantage of requiring'v more stock than carriers within the second group. AAlso, vthe desirable feature of having a handle 3 Claims. (Cl. 224--48) which extends above the tops of the bottles or other articles for lconvenient carrying and which is depressible below the tops of the bottles or articles topermit stacking of loaded carriers complicates the construction and increases the cost of the carrier.

Carriers with a detachable handle'have`become vpopular in recent years because of `certain advantages. Firstly, less stock is required for the carrier body and, secondly, the assembly of the carrier body is generally simplerand less expensive than the assembly of a carrier body with an integral handle. Prominent among carriers with .a detachablel handle are those in which the hanvdle is formed from a piece of bent wire.

l* Wire .handles are sturdy and have the advantage of being salvagable for reuse with a new carrier body,

Yafter the initial'carrier body wears out, or is dis.-

carded by the bottler. Another advantage of the to make their use prohibitive for one-trip-car- =riers,`and.often-uneconomical for carriers which make only a few-round trips between the bottler and the consumer. In addition, the cost ofr each wire handle mounts, in effect, every time it must beAdetachedfrom a used carrier body and reas- .sembled witha new carrier body. Another factor Y influencing the average cost of the wire handle is the fact that a certain percentage of 'handle equipped carriers are not returned, but are losti The present, invention provides an improvement falling within the second of the aforementioned groups. The principalfeature of the inlvention is the provision of a strap handleoiiering the same advantages as the conventional wire handle, but havingv the additional advantage of costing' only `fraction Vof the cost of Eawire handle. rStrap-handles incorporating the present invention are conveniently made from paperboard, `The board may; but need not necessarily, be reinforced 'with fabric or other reinforcing material, if the handle is to support an unusually great load or is to be used underv unusually unfavorable conditions. "-1

The idea of equipping a bottle carrier ywith a strap handle is basically not novel. Strap handies made from paperboard have previouslyrbeen proposed for bottle carriers. However, the known strap handles, as far as can be ascertained,'were constructed in such a `form and were attached to the carrier body in such a Way, as to become detched tooeasily. l

The present invention is Ybased on rthe recognition that the `-strength of the board' used in a strap handle must be utilized in af most advanftageousumanner, if the handle is to remairi-securely attached to the carrier body, not only lnder ordinary conditions of use, Vbutalso under conditions of abuse, to which bottle carriers `are Vfre'- quently subjected. The strap handle provided l by the present invention is particularly suited-for use with a carrier body equipped with a plurality Vof transverse bottle separating top webs extending from one side wallfof theY carrier body'to the other side Wall, or from one side wall to a center partition and thence to the other iside wall. The engagement of the strap handle provided by the present invention with the top fwebs 'is suchthat the strap handleengages 'the 'Webs along the bottom edge of the webs, the handle being folded at the bottom edge andl so con- "structed that unfolding under the load of the body is prevented. Likewise accidental disengagement of the handle Yfrom'the carrier -body `when lnot Vloaded is prevented.

jc'arrier body ,S'comprises' transverse webs coriby drawings showing, for the purpose of 'illustration, preferred embodiments of the invention as applied to an illustrative form of carrier body. The invention also consists incertain new and original features of construction hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of the inventionwhich are believedto benovel `will lbe particularly'pcintel out in the claims 'appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages and the manner in which it may be carried out may be betterv understood by referring tothe description in which: y

Figure 1 is a plan view of a flat blank Vfrom vwhich a carrier body may be made;

Figure 2 is a plan view of ablank of Figure 1 after an initial gluing and folding operation resulting in a flat collapsed tubular structure;

Figure 3 is a vperspective view of the blank of Figure 2 after expansion into hollow form;

Figurei is a perspective view of the expanded blank of Figure 3 in the process of formation of its cellular top web structures;

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the completed carrier body after formation of its -top web structures;

. Figure 6 is aplan view of the completed carrier bQdyshown in Figure 5;

Figure 'l is an elevational side View ofthe carrierbody shown in Figure 5; l

Figure 8 is a plan view of a hat blank from which a strap handle may be made;

a ,Figure 9 is a perspective view of the strap handlegof Figure 8 attached to the carrierbody of Figure 5; and l 4 Figure 410 isma detailed sectional view taken on vline I-Ill of Figure 9 illustrating the manner in which the handle engages the web of the carrier body.

In the following description and in the claims yarious details will be identied by specific Ynames for conveniences. The names, however, are intended'to be as generic in their application as the vart will permit. Corresponding reference characnters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification certains'pecic disclosure of the invention is made for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, butit is understood that the details may be modi- Q-iiedin various respects without departure from :the broad principles of the invention and that the invention may be applied to other structures than the ones shown.

The blank A is shown in Figure 1 and may be cut'an'd scored, 'in multiple, from large'rolls orl sheets of 'foldable sheet material such as paperboard, on autdmatic cutting and scoring 'mafch'ines. The several constituent partsv of the Zfblanka're set apart by fold' or' crease lines. The

blankbomprises aside wall panel II.' a top :wall x panel I2, a further side wall panel I3, a bottom Wall panel I4 and a glue lap I5 hingedly interconnected along fold lines IB, I1, I8, and I9, respectively. Slits or apertures 20 and 2l are cut in the top panel II for convenient attachment of the handle, as will later appear.

The top panel I2 and adjoining portions of the side wall panels II and I3 lare cut and scored to provide a cellular web structure forming individual compartments for bottles or other forms of merchandise. Cuts 22, 23 and 24 extend at right angles to the fold lines I6 and I1. These cuts separate the stock into webs 25, 2B, 21 and 28 which after appropriate folding form article receiving cells as will later appear.

The webs are foldable at a plurality of fold lines. These fold lines include diagonal or oblique fold lines 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 extending from short terminal cuts 35, 36 and 31 to the transverse fold line I1 at an angle. Similar diagonal fold lines 38, 39, 40, 4I, 42 and `43 extend from similar short terminal cuts 44, 45, and 46 to the transverse fold line I5 and preferably 'include between themselves the same angle as the fold lines 23, 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34. The webs 25 and 28 constitute terminal webs since they Alie at the outer edges of the blank. The webs 26, and 21 constitute intermediate webs. These intermediate webs comprise ridge fold lines'41 and 48 to provide for double ply thickness of the intermediate webs, as will later appear.

Folding of the webstructure is facilitated by a plurality of crease lines 49, 49', 5I), 50', 5I,`5I, 52, 52', 53, 53 and 54, v54. These crease lines subdivide the several webs into individual 'web portions. It is evident that the angles at which these crease lines intersect, as well as their outline, depends on the width of the panel I2, measured between the fold lines I6 and I1, as well as on the depth or height of the respective webs in the finished carrier body.

Further transverse fold lines 55 and 56 extend across the blank to facilitate folding of the Webs as will later become apparent.

Triangular panels 51, 58, 59,60, 6I, 62, 63and 64, extend with their apexes from either end of the ridges of the webs. These ridges,` as will later appear, are formed by the'ridge fold lines 41 and 48 and by the outer edge portions ofthe outer edges and 66 of the blank A. The triangular panels are bounded by the transverse fold lines I1 and I6, respectively, forming the bases of the triangles, and by further foldlines 61, 68, 69, 10, 1I, 12 and 173, 14, 15, 16, 11 and 18, forming the sides of the triangles.

The assembly of the carrier body vfrom the blank A may proceed as follows:

Adhesive a is first applied to the terminal glue lap I5 and the blank is folded about the fold line I8 to bring the panel I4 face-to-face with the panel I3. Thereafter the blank is folded about the fold line I9 and the terminal portion of the panel II is pressed into vadhesive engagement with the glue lap I5. The resulting tubular structure A is shown in Figure 2 and isreacly for expansion into hollow form. Flat tubular blanks may be stored and shipped tothe user: in flat collapsed condition, requiring a minimum of space and may be set up in expanded form by a relatively simpleassembly operation vwhich may be performed at the bottling plant. These operations-will now be described.

VThe tubular blank A is first squared-to assume "asubstantia-lly rectangular shape as shown'n Figure-3. `Article receiving cells 19, 8D and8 Ifare then formed, and the blank is xedin expanded position by exertion of force in the direction of arrows F against the several web panels 25, 26, 21 and 28. This force causes the web panels to move towards a vertical position withrespect to the bottom panel I4. Simultaneously the ridges 65, 41, 48 and B6. are raised and the triangular panels 51, 58, 59, 68 and.6.l, 62, 63 and 64 assume a slanting position as shown in Figure 4. Further pressure against the web panels and supplementary pressure against the tilting edges I6 and l1 .causes the web panels to assume their nal vertical position which they then automatically maintain due toa peculiar behavior inherent in the illustrated structure which may be compared to the action of the commonly known over-center spring which snaps into one or the other of two extreme positions after being forced past its center position. A center position is encountered in the present assembly between the positions of the edges I6 and I1.. in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, and the aforementioned supplemental pressure exerted against these edges causes the web assembly to snap into the position shown in Figure 5.

The carrier body thus formed is extremely rigid and. resistant to deformation due to the trusslike construction of the webs dividing the cells 19; 80 and 8l from one another.

p Figures 6 and '1 show the completed carrier body in plan view and in end view respectively. It is apparent from both figures that the side walls ll and I3 have Aa tendency of sloping inwardly at about the height of the webs, and this inwardslope then continues, in the manner of a mansard roof, in the triangular panels from whose apexes the horizontal ridges 65, 41, 48 and lextend. Y A

The resulting carrier body possesses a surprising amount of strength and rigidity to a lifting force applied at the lower edges of the bottle separating webs, particularly to the webs 26 and 21 which are of double ply thickness. This peculiarity makes the carrier bodyY admirably suited for usewith a strap handle which will now be described. l

Referring to Figure 8 the flat blank B of the strap handle consists of a central hand Igripportion 82, intermediate portions 83 and 84 and end portions 85 and 85. The intermediate portions 83 and 84 are hingedly connected to the central portion 82 along fold lines S1 and 88, and the end portions 85 and 86 are articulated to the intermediate portions 83 and 84 in a similar manner along fold lines 88 and 98. The central portion 82 of the strap handle blank may includea plurality of scores 9| to facilitate subsequent flexing of the handle into U-shape. However, the scores 8| are not indispensable and may be omitted.

The blank B is made from paperboard, preferably board having substantial tear strength. Kraft is suitable stock for the handle and the grain should preferably run lengthwise of the handle. Ordinarily it can be used in single ply strength without reinforcement. However, if the handle is to be used under particularly unfavorable conditions, if the load is exceptionally great, or if it is desired to use stock of lower grade for the handle, the blank B may be made of laminated stock particularly stock including a fabric ply.

The shape of the blank B is optional. It may be made of equal width throughout, or, as shown in Figure 8, the central portion may be made progressively narrower for more convenient gripping of the strap by hand. In the latter case the handle blanks may suitably be laid out in a continuous strip of board in such a way that the Wider end portions of two handle blanks lie adjacent the narrow portion of an adjacent handle blank. It is preferable, although not necessary, to make the intermediate portions 83 and 84 of a width w substantially equal to the width of the panels 26 and 21 of the webs, ,as measured between the fold lines 55 and 56. l

VThe length L of the intermediate portions 83 and 84 is less than the length of the panels 26 and 21, as measured between the fold line 41 and the edges 22, 23 and, with respect to panel 21, measured between the fold line 48 and the edges 23 and 24. The length Z of the end portions 85 and 86 is so dimensioned that in folded-over position indicated in Figure 8 in dotted lines, the terminal edge of the end portions and 86 is at a distance h from the fold lines 81 and 88. This distance h should be equal to, or slightly more than, the distance of the cuts 26 and 2 I from the edges 23. The relative dimensions are also shown in Figure 10 in lwhich the end of the handle is illustrated inserted into the web 21.

,The assembly of the strap handle B with the carrier body A is simple and may be performed as follows: Y

The blank B of the handle is flexed into substantially-inverted U-shape. The intermediate panel portions 83 and 84 are folded at their respective fold lines B1 and 88, and the end panel portions 85 and 86 are folded at their fold lines 89 and 58. Thus folded the ends of the handle are insertedk into the slits 28 and 2l' far enough to cause the terminal edges of the end portions 85 and 86 to snap past the lower edges of the cuts 2U and'2l, as shown in Figure 10.

The assembled handle is shown in perspective in Figure 9. The handle is very secure, and comparable in strength and load carrying capacity to the best conventional wire handles in spite of its far lower cost. For convenienceof stacking loaded carriers the handle may be depressed into a position below the tops of bottles, cans, jars, or other articles in the carrier. Pressure on the top of the handle deforms the handle slightly. This deformation, however, does not cause the handle to become disengaged from the 'transverse webs- 26' and 21. The portions 83 and 84 of the handle are maintained in locked position by the end flaps 85 and 86 which engage with their terminal edges the edges' formed in thewebs 26 and 21 by the cuts 20 and 2l.

Even if,`in depressing the handle as mentioned above, the terminal edges of the flaps 85 and 86 do not engage the edges of the web cuts 28 and 2 l, the handle still will not disengage from the carrier body since the stiffness of the handle material at the fold line 90 causes the flaps to pass inside-not outside-the cuts in the webs.

The invention thus provides a strong anden-icient handle for carriers comparable in strength to the best wire handles heretofore proposed. 'I'he improved strap handle can be produced at a fraction of the cost of a, wire handle, and rests in the hand of the user more comfortably than a wire handle because of its larger grip surface. It has the advantage over the Wire handle of engaging the carrier blank along the extended bottom edges of the webs rather than at isolated points of engagement as would be the case if a wire handle were used.

The carrier is considerably more reliable than any paperboard carrier with strap handle heretofore proposed in that its strength is not affooted by swinging orrocking the loaded carrier about the po-int at -which the handle is gripped bythe user. The strength of the handle iii this respect arisesffrom the fact that'the load is carried at creases of the handle and not at interlocks, out edges, orprojections-which provide an edge-to-edge rather thanan edgetosur face engagement. `This is a critical difference over known carriers'which are extremely-sensitive to such rocking which tendsto disengage lock tabs at the ends of the strap handle from the carrier body. The presentdesign avoids this Weakness by critical changesoi? design without complicating the assembly of the carrier and handle or increasing their oost.

What is claimed is:

1, A merchandise carrier comprising, a carrier body consisting Aof-a sheet of foldable material and including a bottom wall, side walls, and merchandise separating top webs extending substantially at right angles with respect to the side walls and to the bottom wall, at least two of said topwebs being'of double thickness, the two plies being folded face-to-face about a ridge fold line, one of said plies of the two top webs having a substantially horizontal slit therein; and a handle consisting of a separate strip of foldable sheet material, said handle including a central hand grip portion ilexed substantially in' theshape of an inverted U, an intermediate portion articulated to either end of the central portion and foldable back upon the central portion, andan end portion articulatedto eachV of said intermediate portions and foldable back Vupon said intermediate portion to lie between said intermediate portion and said central portion, said intermediate portions and said. end portions being insertable through the slit in each of the two top webs in folded-back position, with the respective top webs lying between the intermediate vportion and the central portion of the handle, the terminaledge of the end .portions lying in edge-to-.edge abutting relation with'the lower -edge formed said two webs by each of said slits, thereby preventing withdrawal of the hanfv dle from said slits in a downward direction when `the handle is depressed. y f y 2 A handle, particularly 4for use with a rnerchandise carrier body of the type consisting of a sheet oi foldable material and including a bottom wall, side walls, and merchandise separating top webs extending substantially at right angles with. respect to the-side walls and to the-bottom Wall., two of Said Webs being of double plrthckness and having substantially horizontal slits in one thickness; said handle consisting of a Separate strip of foldable sheet material, said handle including a central grip portion bendable Silbstantially in the shape of aninverted Ll, an intermediate portion articulated to either end of the central portion and foldable back upon the centrai portion. andan end. Vportion articulated to each Vof said intermediate portions Aamiioldable back upon said intermediate portion to liebetween said intermediate Vportion and said central portion, the distance. of the terminal edge of the foldedeback endportion from the line of articu-v lation' between said central portion and said intermediate'portion beingv not less than the distance of-theslit from the bottom edge of the webY containing Ithe vsli-t, said handle being insertable with its intermediate and end portions through `said slits into the space between .the double plies so that vthe bottom edge of the two ply Vweb of the carrierrests in the space between the central portion and the folded-back intermediate portion when -the carrier is lifted up by the handle, withdrawal 'of the handle being prevented by -an edge-to-edge vabutment between said end portions and the lower edge formed by each of said slits.

3; A merchandise carrier comprising, a carrier body consisting ofA a sheet of' foldable material and including la bottom Wall, side walls, and merchandise separating top Webs extending substantiallyat right angles with respect to the side Walls and to the bottom wall, certain of said webs being of double thickness and having a slit in one of the two thicknesses; :and a handle consisting of a separate strip of foldable sheet material, said handle including a central hand grip portion bendable substantially in the shape of an inverted U, an intermediate portion articulated lto either end of the central portion and foldable back upon the central portionand about one of said double thickness webs, so that the web rests inthe fold between the central'portion andthe folded-back intermediate portion, the length of said intermediate portion being less than the height of the web it engages, and an end portion articulated to each of said intermediate portions., said end portion being oldable back upon the intermediate portion and insertable into said slit, the length of said end portion being sufliciently short that itsl terminal edge lies above said slit when the web rests in the fold between the central and the intermediate portion, the terminal edge preventing withdrawal of said handle from said slit by edge-to-edge abutment with the lower edge formed by said slit. i MARSHALL I. WILLIAMSQN.

REFERENCES CITED Y The followingreferences Yare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

